DALLAS — Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott will have surgery on his left wrist following the season. He broke the wrist in August, had surgery and played sparingly in the season’s first three games. Because of a brace on the wrist, he doesn’t carry the ball in his left hand.

“It’s something I had to get used to as the season went on,” the sophomore said. “When I first had surgery, just getting out there and practicing with it and only keeping [the ball] in that [off] hand. It’s become second nature, it’s easy.”

It certainly hasn’t affected his performance. Elliott ran for 1,632 yards this year and 14 touchdowns, including a Sugar Bowl-record 230 yards in the 42-35 upset of No. 1 Alabama on New Year’s Day. Elliott has heard how important he is to a victory Monday night — Oregon’s run defense was ranked 66th in the nation, allowing 154.2 yards per game on the ground — and he plans to be up to the task.

“It’s a little bit of pressure, but I know the big guys in front of me, we call them ‘the slobs,’ are going to pave the way for me,” said the Sugar Bowl’s Most Outstanding Player on offense.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer reiterated his belief injured quarterback Braxton Miller will return to Columbus for his final year of eligibility despite the glut of talented teammates at the position. There have been rumors Miller could go elsewhere — to Oregon, Florida State or Duke.

“I do expect Braxton to return,” Meyer said Sunday.

Miller was supposed to be a Heisman Trophy candidate, before suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder during fall practice. Having completed his undergraduate degree this month, he would be eligible immediately as a graduate transfer.

If Miller comes back, he would be battling current starter, sophomore Cardale Jones, and redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, who enjoyed a stellar campaign, finishing fifth in the Heisman voting, before fracturing his right ankle Nov. 29 against Michigan.

In addition to losing standout redshirt freshman wide receiver Darren Carrington to a drug suspension, Oregon also will be without senior running back Ayele Forde, a key member of the Ducks’ special teams unit because of the same infraction. While Carrington tested positive for marijuana, the complete results of Ford’s test are not known.

Oregon coach Mark Helfrich remains in constant contact with Eagles coach Chip Kelly — his boss for four years — but they don’t talk about football.

“I would say zero on the topic of football,” he said. “Just a lot of personal back and forth with a bunch of those guys and with him first and foremost and the Philly crew, but just personal stuff.”

Don’t look for Helfrich to follow Kelly into the NFL, but he wouldn’t rule it out either.

“I love college football, I love everything about college football, but certainly never going to say never,” he said.

During his year away from football in 2011, Meyer spent some time in Eugene with the Oregon football team and Kelly. He said he didn’t pick up anything specific, other than some new ideas about the alignment of his coaching and support staff.

One thing stood out.

“You go in [to the Oregon practices] they are playing ‘Lion King’ music,” he said. “They have like a DJ at practice. Bizarre stuff now. I remember even I was like, ‘What is this?’ ”